Where Do Our Horses Come From?
Our horses are hand picked by us from a variety of sources. We like to pick horses who will fit in with the riding school as workers but also as individual characters, and members of our herds.
Our priority is to find a horse who has a kind eye and would be a willing partner; we are happy to work on their riding!
We have rescued a few of our ponies; they often take longer to trust us however when they do they are really honest and hard working.
Sometimes we are offered horses from private homes; we will always consider a horse although we would work at length to ensure the horse would cope with the challenge of being a riding school pony, it is very different from having one owner / rider.
We have a few trusted horse sellers who will let us know when they have a good horse.
Our end of career policy
Here at Kingsmead we have a 'end of career' policy. We regularly review the horses to ensure they are happy in their work. Some horses struggle with the challenges of being a riding school pony and unfortunately others may become old or sick. Sadly we have little room to keep retired horses here at Kingsmead.
When a horse is ready to leave Kingsmead we look at all their options. If they are suitable for rehoming (often applies to the younger more cheeky ponies or perhaps the more nervous types who would appreciate one to one care from an owner) we search to find them a new home.
Having explored all other options we would consider euthanasia. This can be much kinder than letting a horse's health detoriate which can lead to long term suffering. This would never be undertaken lightly and we always try to involve those closest to the horse.